Late at night, a crescent moon hung high in the sky. A cold wind blew by now and then, sending a chill through the air.

On a slope leading into Syrup Village in East Blue, Alex and the others sat gathered around a campfire, eating grilled fish while discussing their next move.

Because Luffy had been loudly complaining about being hungry, Alex had no choice but to go down to the shore earlier and catch a large batch of fish.

These fish were all from the shallow coastal waters—small in size—so to satisfy Luffy's monstrous appetite, Alex had made several trips, hauling back hundreds of fish. Most of them had already vanished into Luffy's bottomless stomach.

"You don't have a net anymore, right? How did you catch so many fish?" Nami asked curiously, watching Alex as he munched on grilled fish beside her.

"I'm a professional, you know. I don't need a net to catch fish. Not like you—a half-baked thief." Alex grinned cheekily. Before Nami could explode at him, he quickly offered her a freshly grilled silver fish shaped like a crescent moon. "This is a rare Crescent Fish from East Blue. They usually live deep in the sea, but during the early nights of a new moon, they sometimes wander into shallow waters. They're really hard to find. I managed to catch one, so I'm giving it to you."

"This fish is delicious—completely boneless and incredibly tender. Once it's grilled just right, all the flavor is sealed inside. The first bite? Absolutely divine."

Nami just sat there, stunned. Her big eyes stared at Alex silently, and she didn't reach out to take the fish. Alex thought maybe she wasn't interested in the flavor, so he kept explaining.

What's with this guy… He's actually being sweet for once. Maybe I'll let that thing earlier slide.

Nami gave him a quick glance and lowered her head slightly. The glow of the fire reflected off her delicate features, her cheeks faintly flushed—though the warm firelight masked the redness well.

Just as she was about to take the Crescent Fish from Alex, a long arm suddenly stretched across and—whoosh—the fish vanished from his hand, leaving only a bare skewer.

"What kind of fish was that? So tasty!" Luffy said, having swallowed the entire fish in one bite. He licked his lips, clearly wanting more.

"You stole my fish!" Nami stared in disbelief at the empty skewer Alex was still holding. Furious, she marched over and immediately started beating Luffy to a pulp.

"Waaahhh!"

Luffy's scream pierced the quiet night.

Thud! Thwack!

"These fish really hit the spot. A little alcohol would make it perfect." Zoro didn't even flinch as Luffy was pummeled nearby. He scratched his head and took another bite of fish, sounding genuinely regretful.

"Hey, she's scary. It was just one fish, and she's turned him into a punching bag. Is she a demon or what?" Usopp whispered nervously to Alex, glancing at the rampaging Nami.

"Maybe." Alex looked at Luffy's swollen face and secretly sighed in relief. I've had that fish before… Good thing I didn't eat it myself. If Nami found out, I'd be the one getting flattened.

Yep. Lady Luck is still on my side.

Feeling content, Alex happily devoured a few more skewers of fish and patted his belly.

Half an hour later, with everyone's hunger satisfied, the group turned to planning their defense for the next day.

"If the pirates want to reach the village from the shore, they'll have to come up this slope," Usopp explained, adding another log to the fire. "So as long as we hold this position, the villagers will be safe."

"That sounds too easy." Luffy rubbed his round belly, surrounded by neat rows of discarded fish bones.

Alex and Zoro both nodded in agreement. Holding the high ground definitely gave them the upper hand.

"You're underestimating the enemy," Usopp warned seriously. "There are a lot of them. There's only five of us. We'll need strategy."

"Why make it so complicated? Can't we just beat them up?"

"Why make it so complicated? Can't we just slice them down?"

"Why make it so complicated? Can't we just crush them?"

Luffy, Zoro, and Alex stood side by side, arms crossed, all speaking almost the same line in unison. Usopp was so shocked his jaw practically hit the ground.

"You three idiots! You'll get yourselves killed! Use your brains!" Nami snapped, her mouth morphing into something terrifyingly shark-like.

"But we're already full. We'll be fine tomorrow," Luffy replied, confident as ever.

"It's not a banquet. I can manage without booze," Zoro added coolly.

"I already knew that creepy butler was a pirate. You didn't believe me back then. Now who's the real idiot?" Alex said smugly.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Nami didn't hesitate. She knocked all three of them flat to the ground. "Where do you even get that confidence from?! The Black Cat Pirates are infamous in East Blue! You guys aren't even on wanted posters yet! Get a grip!"

A few minutes later, Usopp smeared oil all over the middle section of the slope. "Alright, this'll stop them from climbing up."

"Here's the plan: once they slip and slide down, that's when we strike," he said, arms folded, looking over the slick slope.

"Not bad," Zoro nodded in approval.

"But we need to be careful. One wrong step and we'll fall into our own trap," Nami warned.

"You're really sneaky," Luffy said, crouching down and cautiously touching the oiled surface.

"Of course. I pride myself on being clever and a crack shot," Usopp grinned confidently. "You guys are looking for crew members, right? If you're not against it, I might just grace you with my leadership. Under the great Captain Usopp, your futures are sure to shine."

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